[1] In Easter 1841 he completed his licentiate in Theology, one of his classmates being the future archivist Joseph Stevenson.
In 1872 the University of Durham conferred on Ornsby the honorary degree of M.A., and on 29 May 1873 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
He was a lifelong friend of James Raine, the noted antiquarian and founder of the Surtees Society, once a master of Durham School.
For the Surtees Society he edited Denis Granville's Remains, in two volumes, 1861 and 1865; John Cosin's Correspondence, 2 vols.
[1] In an account of his life written in The Durham University Journal it was noted he remained active up until his death, taking two full services on Sunday and visiting a sick parishioner on Monday, dying later that week on Saturday morning after a short and sudden illness.